The Portland Observatory is a historic maritime signal tower at 138 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, Maine. Built in 1807, it is the only known surviving tower of its type in the United States. Using both a telescope and signal flags, two-way communication between ship and shore was possible several hours before an incoming vessel reached the docks. The tower was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006; it is now managed by Greater Portland Landmarks, a local historic preservation nonprofit. It is open to the public as a museum.
Portland has a deep harbor sheltered by numerous islands. Ships entering the harbor are not directly visible from the wharfs, which created problems for merchants trying to prepare for the arrival of cargoes. This problem was solved in 1807 when Captain Lemuel Moody organized the construction of an observatory on Portland's Munjoy Hill, visible from both the open ocean and the wharfs. During the War of 1812, the observatory was used as a watch tower.
Source: Wikipedia.org
Copyright: Creative Commons 3.0
| | Public | German
Cumberland, United States
Discover the most beautiful and popular trails in the area, carefully bundled into appropriate selections.
Discover the most beautiful and popular attractions in the area, carefully bundled in appropriate selections.
With RouteYou, it's easy to create your own customised maps. Simply plot your route, add waypoints or nodes, add places of interest and places to eat and drink, and then easily share it with your family and friends.
Route planner
<iframe src="https://plugin.routeyou.com/poiviewer/free/?language=en&params.poi.id=1467537" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Try this feature for free with a RouteYou Plus trial subscription.
If you already have such an account, then log in now.
More than 8,500,000 routes
More than 15,000,000 users
More than 4,200,000 points of interest
Kerkstraat 108
9050 Gentbrugge, Belgium
© 2006-2024 RouteYou - www.routeyou.com
Cumberland
